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Lake McClellan

Howardwick, Texas — Gray County.

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339Surface acres · TPWD
21 ftMax depth
1938Impounded
1Public access sites

Surface area: TPWD (official surface acres); the USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID {FC2E9DCA-14D3-4AC7-9D63-BD0F5592B32F}) measures 184 acres; max depth from TPWD.

Location & fast facts

Where Lake McClellan is in Texas

The red circle marks Lake McClellan.

Fast facts

About Lake McClellan

  • County: Gray
  • Nearest city: Howardwick (about 8.5 mi from the lake)
  • Location (TPWD): 50 miles east of Amarillo on McClellan Creek, a tributary of the North Fork of the Red River
  • Impounded: 1938 (TPWD)
  • Controlling authority: Black Kettle Ranger District · (580) 497-2143
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 54 mi from Amarillo and 126 mi from Lubbock, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Texas: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Texas

Official TPWD pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Lake map

Lake McClellan shoreline, boat launches & beaches

East Bluff #1 Campground (campground)Mcdowell Campground (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launch Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID {FC2E9DCA-14D3-4AC7-9D63-BD0F5592B32F}), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: OpenStreetMap boat ramps (TPWD publishes ramp names per lake, not coordinates). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Campgrounds near Lake McClellan

We found 9 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Lake McClellan, 5 of them within 5 miles. 3 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

3 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Texas

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (35.2113, -100.8708). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Lake McClellan. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Lake McClellan

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Fish you can catch

    Largemouth bassChannel & blue catfishSaugeyeWhite crappieSunfish

    Predominant species from the TPWD Lake Finder.

    TPWD Lake Finder: McClellan Reservoir

    Fishing outlook & regulations

    SpeciesTPWD rating
    Largemouth BassPoor
    Channel CatfishPoor
    Blue CatfishPoor
    CrappiePoor
    SunfishPoor

    Regulations (TPWD): All species are currently managed under statewide regulations, which include an 18-inch minimum length limit and 3-fish daily bag limit for saugeye.

    Aquatic vegetation (TPWD): Large areas of pondweed in the upper reservoir, scattered stands of cattail and bulrush

    Water-level fluctuation: Moderate to severe, 4-10 feet annually

    Normal clarity: Turbid, 1-2 ft visibility

    TPWD Lake Finder page · Latest survey report

    Ratings are TPWD's own Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent scale. Statewide rules: TPWD Outdoor Annual, fishing. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Stocking history

    TPWD has 62 stocking records for Lake McClellan from 1965 to 2021. The table shows 2017–2021.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2021Bass, Largemouth10,353Fingerling
    2020Sunfish, Bluegill23,320Fingerling

    TPWD stocking history for McClellan Reservoir

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating35.2131, -100.8724

    OpenStreetMap boat ramps (TPWD publishes ramp names per lake, not coordinates)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Invasive species

    Reported on or near Lake McClellan

    Clean, Drain, Dry. In Texas the law requires draining water from boats and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh water, and possessing or moving zebra mussels is illegal. TPWD rules.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Texas lakes & ponds · All waters in Howardwick